KIRKUS REVIEW

A novel follows a young mother who
is forced to grow up when her husband abruptly abandons her.

Young,
beautiful, and sheltered Shelby Carpenter is married to a successful Hollywood
stuntman. The book opens as Shelby and her husband, Boyd, mingle with other Tinseltown
hotshots at a lavish party in Los Angeles. An attractive and assertive divorcée
offers to take Boyd on a tour of the grounds, whereupon he excuses himself from
the company of his wife, never to be seen again. Shelby cannot believe that she
has been left so suddenly and brazenly by her husband of more than half a
decade, but after three long days with no word from Boyd, she begins to accept
the truth. She is soon informed by mutual acquaintances that Boyd went to Kenya
with his new girlfriend, and before she knows it, she has received divorce
papers from his attorney. With no job and very little life experience, Shelby
is left to fend for herself and her 8-year-old daughter, Pamela, on her
own. Motivated by the responsibility she feels for her daughter, Shelby
finds positions as a cocktail waitress and an administrative assistant in a
corporate office. As she learns to stand on her own, Shelby meets three men who
appeal to different aspects of her personality. Each of the three provides
Shelby with emotional support during her most turbulent times as well as
varying levels of distraction and sexual fulfillment. Formerly writing under
the name MK Landstein, Mitchell (Wasted…Maybe,2013, etc.) delivers a complex heroine. As the appealing
story progresses, Shelby’s feelings for each of the three suitors evolve, along
with her sentiments about herself. Throughout the novel, the author provides
insightful and compassionate details about the difficulties of single
motherhood (“All along she knew she would not allow anything to interfere with
Pamela’s world, her self-image and security. Shelby knew she would have to
climb out of this hole step by step”). Mitchell
also shows how Shelby’s lovely face and friendly demeanor can often function as
more of a curse than a blessing. There are many intricate subplots that weave
their ways throughout the larger story, rounding out the richness of the narrative.

A captivating and complicated coming-of-age
tale for fans of surprising heroines.

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